Siegfried Behrend
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Behrend was a German
classical guitarist
and composer
.
, harpsichord
, conducting
and composition
at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory
in Berlin
, Germany, and taught himself classical guitar
. At the age of 30 he already was a world-renowned artist with this instrument, playing for the Shah
of Persia, the Emperor
of Japan
and Gamal Abdel Nasser
in Cairo
.
In 1962, he met singer Belina during the making of a TV Show and they endeavoured to create some musical projects together. With their chanson
s, folk songs and Yiddish songs, they became highly respected and well-known representatives of German culture in the aftermath of World War II. They performed in more than 120 countries and were regular guests on German television and talkshows. In these years, they recorded several songs, albums and LPs.
In the 1970s Behrend married the German actress Claudia Brdozinska, also a singer. In performances with her, Behrend focused more on contemporary art music.
Behrend was also renowned as a teacher for classical guitar. Martin Maria Krüger began studying the instrument with Behrend. In later years, Behrend and Krüger became famous as The German Guitar Duo. In the 1970s, Behrend gave several International Masterclasses for Artistic Guitar Play which were attended by individuals such as Michael Tröster and Manuel Negwer.
Behrend was (co-)editor of several books aimed at a professional audience, including Volkslieder aus aller Welt (Folk Songs from the World) and Gitarrenstunden für Kinder (Guitar lessons for children)
Together with Konrad Wölki, Herman Ambrosius, Heinrich Konietzny
and others, Behrend was one of the leading proponents in the development of mandolin
and plucked string
music towards higher quality and enhanced expressivity in Germany after the war
.
Apart from many arrangements of baroque and folk music for plucked string instruments, Behrend focused on contemporary music. He conducted many premiers of works of Anestis Logothetis, Heinrich Konietzny
, Klaus Hashagen, Dietrich Erdmann, Friedrich Gaitis and others.
In the years 1960-1973, Behrend was conductor of the Saarland Plucked String Orchestra – at that time the leading Plucked String Orchestra in Germany. From 1968 till 1990, he conducted the newly founded German Plucked String Orchestra.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
classical guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Behrend studied pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory
Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory
The Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory was a music institute in Berlin, established in 1893, which for decades was one of the most internationally renowned schools of music. It was formed from the existing schools of music of Xaver Scharwenka and Karl Klindworth, the Scharwenka-Konservatorium and...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany, and taught himself classical guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. At the age of 30 he already was a world-renowned artist with this instrument, playing for the Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
of Persia, the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
In 1962, he met singer Belina during the making of a TV Show and they endeavoured to create some musical projects together. With their chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
s, folk songs and Yiddish songs, they became highly respected and well-known representatives of German culture in the aftermath of World War II. They performed in more than 120 countries and were regular guests on German television and talkshows. In these years, they recorded several songs, albums and LPs.
In the 1970s Behrend married the German actress Claudia Brdozinska, also a singer. In performances with her, Behrend focused more on contemporary art music.
Behrend was also renowned as a teacher for classical guitar. Martin Maria Krüger began studying the instrument with Behrend. In later years, Behrend and Krüger became famous as The German Guitar Duo. In the 1970s, Behrend gave several International Masterclasses for Artistic Guitar Play which were attended by individuals such as Michael Tröster and Manuel Negwer.
Behrend was (co-)editor of several books aimed at a professional audience, including Volkslieder aus aller Welt (Folk Songs from the World) and Gitarrenstunden für Kinder (Guitar lessons for children)
Together with Konrad Wölki, Herman Ambrosius, Heinrich Konietzny
Heinrich Konietzny
Heinrich Josef Konietzny was a German musician, professor and composer.-Life:...
and others, Behrend was one of the leading proponents in the development of mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and plucked string
Plucked string instrument
Plucked string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by plucking the strings. Plucking is a way of pulling and releasing the string in such as way as to give it an impulse that causes the string to vibrate...
music towards higher quality and enhanced expressivity in Germany after the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Apart from many arrangements of baroque and folk music for plucked string instruments, Behrend focused on contemporary music. He conducted many premiers of works of Anestis Logothetis, Heinrich Konietzny
Heinrich Konietzny
Heinrich Josef Konietzny was a German musician, professor and composer.-Life:...
, Klaus Hashagen, Dietrich Erdmann, Friedrich Gaitis and others.
In the years 1960-1973, Behrend was conductor of the Saarland Plucked String Orchestra – at that time the leading Plucked String Orchestra in Germany. From 1968 till 1990, he conducted the newly founded German Plucked String Orchestra.
Discography (selection)
- Belina – Behrend 24 SONGS AND ONE GUITAR (Columbia)
- Belina and Siegfried Behrend MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD (Columbia)
- Yiddish Songs Es brennt (Columbia)
- Eviva la Guitarra – Siegfried Behrend und seine spanische Gitarre (BASF)
- Requiem auf Hiroshima (Thorofon)
- Galleria Gitarrenkonzert (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Siegfried Behrend in Memoriam (Thorofon)
- Boccherini, Schnabel: Gitarrenquintette - Siegfried Behrend, Zagreb String Quartet (Da Camera, Sastruphu, SM 93606, 1973)
- Vivaldi: Concerti for Mandolin and Other Favorites - The German String Orchestra, Siegfried Behrend (CBS 35878)
Literature
- Helmut Richter: Siegfried Behrend 1933–1990 – Stationen. Publisher: Karl Maria Laufen, Oberhausen 2000, ISBN 3-87468-171-8.
- Maren Trekel: Siegfried Behrend : ein Leben für die Gitarre, die Zupforchester und deren Musik (Siegfried Behrend: A life for the guitar, plucked string orchestras and their music). Diploma thesis. Published by: Trekel, Hamburg (Germany) 2000. 82 pages.